The Self Decoded (Living With Freedom, #2) / Living With Freedom (ePub)

The Self has been a topic of exploration for centuries, and it has remained an enigma all this while. This book goes to its depth and opens the lid so that a layperson can understand its making and working.

Lawrence V. Fernandes builds on the concepts introduced in his ground-breaking first book, Stop Surviving Start Living with Freedom, to help you understand the mystery of your existence and know why you are the way you are.

This book comprises certain discoveries the author has made about the working of the human mind and its dynamic in his therapy career of 24 years as a Hypnotherapist and Neuro-Linguistic Programmer.

The word "SELF" has been part of our everyday communication. Here are a few examples:

I am angry with myself.

I hate myself.

I don't trust myself.

I don't understand myself.

I am proud of myself.

In the above sentences, it looks as if there are two people. "I hate myself" can be presented as "Tom hates Tim." Now the question is, who is "I," and who is "myself" that I hate in the above sentence? We can ask the same question in other sentences. The book deciphers who the Self is and its construct.

Besides the Self, the book covers related topics such as Self-talk, Self-sabotage and Self-image in a fresh and interesting way.

In fact, inside us, there are two systems running in parallel. One is our survival mechanism, which helps us to survive, discussed in the author's earlier book, Stop Surviving Start Living With Freedom. The other is our Self, imposing rules and limitations on us to protect us, to which we must adapt. Reading the book will help one understand the Self, a powerful system that governs us. If we don't comply, it can punish or, at times, even destroy us. Our own survival mechanism -- our operating system -- makes us comply with the demands of our Self. This book describes how we do it.

The Self may look complex, but the book provides a simple and easy way for readers to understand its making and functioning. It explores topics such as:

How does our Self come into existence?

What is it made up of?

How does the Self filter most of our decisions?

What is Self-image and how does it become a roadmap for us in life?

How do we pick up the dreams, wishes, and expectations of others and make them our own goals?

Why do we end up seeing ourselves through the eyes of others?

While the Self has an important purpose in keeping us safe, as individuals, we must comply with it. If we don't fulfill its demands, it can sabotage our progress and make us experience negative emotions. Our Self doesn't allow us to make decisions freely but routes them through the Self. Since the decision-making is in the hands of others, our destiny also gets governed by them. All this happens at an unconscious level beyond our awareness.

Reading this book will make you understand and become aware of your Self and survival mechanism, the dynamic between the two, and how it constricts your true potential from being realized. This awareness will allow you to exercise your free will in creating a life you consciously choose.

As they say, the solution is often found in the problem.

The solutions offered are at two levels- one at the level of our survival mechanism and the second on how to deal with our Self. When you understand the making of the Self and its agenda, this clarity defuses the issues you experience. The book provides step-by-step solutions on how to understand and deal with the Self.